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Mayor's Office Issues Response to the Baltimore City FOP Report of 2015 Unrest

Mayor's Office Issues Response to the Baltimore City FOP Report of 2015 Unrest

Wednesday Jul 8th, 2015

BALTIMORE, Md. (July 8, 2015)—Today, spokesman Kevin Harris issued the following statement in response to the release of the After Action Review into the 2015 unrest from the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #3:

"It is disappointing that the FOP continues to issue baseless and false information instead of working with us to find solutions that will protect our officers. The FOP is using the same sad playbook they relied on when they opposed our efforts to reform state laws and hold officers who act out of line accountable for their actions.

Our hope was that this report would shed some additional light on how we can better prepare our officers should there be future unrest. Instead this report is no more than a trumped up political document full of baseless accusations, finger pointing and personal attacks.

This is not a time for finger pointing and politics. The public and our officers need solutions based on all of the facts. The FOP declined to wait and gather all of the information before rushing to conclusions which is a disservice to our officers who acted so courageously during the unrest.

We will not follow the same approach. Unlike the FOP, our reviews will offer the citizens and officers more than a rehash of tired political rhetoric.

Our review will be extensive, independent and consist of all of the facts.

We have already identified and corrected some weaknesses, including the need to update how we assess the effectiveness of our riot gear and an order to begin the process of placing cameras in the backs of all police transport vans.

Now is a time for healing; a time for progress. This report offers neither. When the city needs the FOP the most they have chosen to be their lesser selves. The Mayor remains committed to working with the officers of the city to seek solutions and push for the safer city we all believe is possible.”

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